shoot the messenger boy

A form of shoot the messenger — To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable for a problem because they brought attention to it.

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Meanings

verbshoot the messenger boy (third-person singular simple present shoots the messenger boy, present participle shooting the messenger boy, simple past and past participle shot the messenger boy)

present singular third person shoots the messenger boy · participle present shooting the messenger boy · participle past shot the messenger boy · past shot the messenger boy

  1. alternativeAlternative form of shoot the messenger.
Cite this entry
APA

shoot the messenger boy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoot%20the%20messenger%20boy

MLA

“shoot the messenger boy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoot%20the%20messenger%20boy. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shoot the messenger boy,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoot%20the%20messenger%20boy.

Source: shoot the messenger boy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.